Pistons trade rumors: Pros and cons of trading for Victor Oladipo

The Detroit Pistons have been mentioned in a number of trade rumors as the deadline approaches.

The most recent came from Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who said the Detroit Pistons were “lurking” around soon-to-be free agent Victor Oladipo of the Houston Rockets.

Windhorst makes a lot of claims and always cites “sources” to back them up, but to be honest, I haven’t seen many of his predictions come to fruition.

Nevertheless, it is an interesting one, as Oladipo is a talented player on a bad team who will almost certainly seek greener pastures after the season ends when he’ll be a restricted free agent.

Could those greener pastures be in Detroit? There are some things to like about Oladipo’s fit with this group of Detroit Pistons but there is also some potential downside to acquiring him in a trade.

I think these rumors are just that. Just because a team has “interest” in a player does not mean a trade is imminent and I am sure Troy Weaver is making a lot of calls just to gauge what it would take to acquire certain talent.

We broke down the pros and cons of a potential trade for Victor Oladipo, starting with what it might look like.

Detroit Pistons: What would it cost to trade for Victor Oladipo?

Pro: The only way the Detroit Pistons are going to trade for Oladipo is if it is a classic “buy low” situation. He has less than a half season left on his contract and there is no guarantee that he would re-sign with the Detroit Pistons, so Detroit would only do it if there wasn’t much at stake. The pro of Oladipo is that you could get an All-Star talent for cheap.

Con: The Rockets will probably be seeking a 1st-round pick for Oladipo and if so, they are likely to be disappointed. Detroit is not giving up a future lottery pick for a 28-year-old rental.

So what could a “good” trade look like?

If the Detroit Pistons could get Oladipo for expiring contracts and one project player, then it might be worth the gamble, as it’s likely that none of these players have a future in Detroit anyway. Sekou Doumbouya would be the prize here, but there is some risk involved with trading him this early in his career.

Adding Delon Wright to this group might be too much, as he has arguably been better than Oladipo this season.

If Detroit could get their hands on an All-Star talent without giving up any of their future core or a first-round pick, then they might consider it.

But there are still risks.